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Bear Alley Books contributors

Friday, December 31, 2010

Kindle e-books from Bear Alley Books

The following titles are available as Kindle e-books.

T. Lobsang Rampa: Lama From Devon
T Lobsang Rampa became a best-seller with the publication of The Third
Eye. Despite its publisher receiving warnings ahead of publication that
it was a fake, Secker & Warburg went ahead and sold 300,000 copies
in eighteen months. Rampa, the self-proclaimed Tibetan Lama, eventually
made headlines in the Daily Mail: "Third Eye Lama Exposed As Fake". In
truth he was born Cyril Hoskin and had changed his name to Carl Kuan Suo
shortly after the Second World War. This 5,800-word essay takes a look
at the history of the remarkable Rampa and his many books.
Available from: Amazon.co.uk [UK] / Amazon.com [US].

Edward D. Wood Jr. is famous as the director of some of the worst movies
ever committed to celluloid. But his legacy extends beyond Plan 9 From
Outer Space, Glen or Glenda? or Bride of the Monster as Wood was also
responsible for some cult-favourite exploitation crime films – Jailbait,
The Violent Years – and novels.
This 3,500-word essay delves into Wood's pornographic novels Black
Lace Drag and Let Me Die In Drag in which the author brings his unique
perspective to crime fiction and makes his lead player a transvestite
hit-man on the run from the syndicate.

In 1946, Frank Dubrez Fawcett created the hugely popular byline Ben
Sarto, under which name he wrote dozens of spine-thrilling gangster
novels and created dozens of memorable characters, not least the
beautiful but heartless Mabie Otis.
The Ben Sarto name was used on 107 novels... who were the mysterious
authors behind the byline? This 4,500-word essay explores the
background of author Fawcett and others involved in Ben Sarto, whose 5
million plus sales helped fuel the gangster novel boom in Britain's
post-war years.

This is the story of "Griff", whose byline appeared on fifty of the
toughest, most brutal books of the gangster boom years just after the
Second World War. Violent and sexually charged, they were written by
half-a-dozen different authors, including Ernest McKeag, William Newton,
Frank Dubrez Fawcett and others.
Along with fellow authors Peter Cheyney, James Hadley Chase, Hank
Janson and Ben Sarto, "Griff" sold millions of thrilling gangster novels
until they fell foul of obscenity charges, destruction orders and
fines. This 2,500-word essay takes a look at one of the most collectable
bylines of the post-war boom.

Edwin Self spent his working career in publishing, turning to the cheap
paperback market in the years after the war. In 1954 he was charged with
publishing obscene novels along with three authors and the owner of the
company who printed the books.
This previously unpublished article tells the story of the Self's
career as a paperback publisher, the court case, and the how he bounced
back with a series of novels now much sought by collectors.

This article tells the story of Pete Costello and looks back at the 1954
court case brought against three of his books which resulted in the
author being send to prison for six months on obscenity charges. By
looking closely at the novel Murder In Mink you can see whether
Costello's novels really were the "filthy, disgusting books" they were
described as.

In his latest essay, Steve Holland looks at what is often called the
very first hard-boiled detective, written by Carroll John Daly for the
pages of Black Mask magazine. In introducing the subject, he also
explores how authors like Raymond Chandler imagined hard-boiled fiction
was reacting to the crime novels of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L.
Sayers when, in fact, hard-boiled yarns emerged at the same time drawing
room crime dramas were going through their golden age.

Zenith of Albino was the creation of George Norman Philips who, as
Anthony Skene, was one of the most popular authors writing the
adventures of Sexton Blake. The character inspired Michael Moorcock to
create his own melancholy character, Elric, and remains the most popular
criminal mastermind to face the detective.
Zenith: Prince of Chaos looks at both the character and the man
behind the character, revealing how Philips based his creation on an
encounter with a real life albino, his fears about his ability to write
and the economic truth that led him to stop.

"Even if you have never read one of his book’s, there is a good chance
that you will have seen one of his films: Humphrey Bogart’s portrayal of
Roy Earle in High Sierra and an appearance by a young Marilyn Munroe in
The Asphalt Jungle make these two excellent movies television regulars,
and what would Christmas be without the annual showing of The Great
Escape, co-scripted by Burnett for director John Sturges, who also
bought in the author to do an uncredited re-write of Ice Station Zebra.
Burnett’s fingerprints were on all of them, yet his novels have slipped
out of print and into obscurity, a real loss, as they are archetypal
crime noir and Burnett was one of the best talents who lit the cold dark
streets of the sleeping city."
Originally published in the out-of-print Mean Streetmaps collection,
Steve Holland's essay on W. R. Burnett has been described as "first
rate" by author Mike Ripley.

AVAILABLE NOW!Forgotten Authors Vol.1Click here for details and payment options"This is utterly fascinating: what a terrific accomplishment! It has held and engaged me. Authors who are only names have been documented and recorded, from the pathetic to the successful, and everywhere in between. This is incredible research, and I cannot begin to thank you enough for sharing it. I’m dipping into it with absolutely enormous pleasure."—Richard Bleiler"Recommended for anyone with an interest in the history of books, book publishing, obscure authors or even researching family history. Looking forward to Volume 2"—Amazon review.

Countdown to TV ActionClick here for details and payment options"The perfect compliment to my set of Countdown/TV Action" - Graham Bleathman."A wonderful trip down memory lane. Recommended" - Paul Simpson, Sci-Fi Bulletin"If you read Countdown as a child, you'll be fascinated by this account of its making ... indispensable." - John Freeman, Down the Tubes"The definitive history of the title" - Lew Stringer, Blimey!"I urge you to grab a copy and give Steve Holland a tip of the hat for the amount of hard work, research and love he's poured into making a book of information become an interesting story" - Barnaby Eaton-Jones, The Cult Den

London Is Stranger Than FictionClick here for details and payment options""The original books have been highly collectable for many years now, but finally they’ve been republished in a single volume from Bear Alley Books ... for the ridiculously reasonable price of £14.99. Do yourself a favour. " Christopher Fowler."The London Is Stranger Than Fiction comic strips are richly illustrated, full of arresting detail and unique characters. Jackson’s love of the quirky is apparent in the events, trades, people and places that he highlights." Chris Evers, Anstapa.